This invention relates to overhead doors and, more particularly, to hinges for coupling overhead sectional door panels together.
There are numerous designs of overhead or retractable door assemblies which are commonly used for garage doors, truck doors, warehouse doors or the like. Typically, an overhead door is convertible between an open, overhead or generally horizontal configuration and a closed generally vertical configuration in which the door closes an opening in the building or the like. The overhead door commonly moves along a track assembly mounted proximate the opening and the track assembly usually includes a generally vertical track section, a generally horizontal track section and a curved transition track section joining the horizontal and vertical sections together.
Overhead doors of this type conventionally include a number of vertically arranged, horizontally oriented panels which can fold along the horizontal divisions between the panels to allow the door to pass along the curved transition section of the track when being opened or closed. The panels can be pivotally coupled together with hinges on the interior surface or back face of the door panels. The hinges articulate during pivotal movement of the panels. Such door panels for many years were predominantly constructed of wood. However, wood door panels are both costly to manufacture and heavy in use, resulting in difficulty when opening and closing the garage door.
Recently, sectional overhead door panels with an outer metal or thermoplastic skin have become popular and have replaced wooden door panels in many applications. Commonly, sectional overhead door panels with thin outer skins require internal reinforcing members, typically constructed of wood or metal. Vertically oriented center and end stiles are often provided within the thin sheet door panel for the required reinforcement.
However, no single overhead door panel design satisfies the needs of all applications and installations. In addition to skin thickness and strength, a wide range of other panel characteristics may be altered for the appropriate panel design for a given application. Some designs are referred to as “pan” door panels and include only the thin skin material for the front face and upper/lower edges of the panel and the required reinforcing stiles and hinge components. Other designs are partially or fully insulated and include a layer or insert of typically foam insulation inserted in the skin or pan portion of the panel. Some insulated door panel designs include a back face or skin and the insulation is sandwiched between the front and back skins.
Regardless of the particular overhead door panel configuration and design, the individual panels must be pivotally joined together for articulation between open and closed positions and movement along the associated track structure. Moreover, an overhead door manufacturer and an installer of overhead doors finds it much more efficient and economical to manufacture, sell, stock and handle a minimum variety of components. Preferably, a given component such as a hinge assembly is compatible with a variety of overhead door panel designs and configurations. This allows the installer and manufacturer to efficiently utilize a minimum number of components while accommodating each of the various door designs.
The installation process for an overhead door is greatly simplified if various components, including the hinge assembly, can be provided in a preassembled configuration for application and installation on the overhead door. However, typically components such as hinges are uniquely designed for a particular door application, particularly when the door panel configuration is designed to minimize gaps between the adjacent door panels during articulation in an effort to inhibit and reduce pinch sites and associated hazards.
As evidenced by the above background, a need exists for a hinge design that is suited for use on a variety of overhead door panel designs and configurations while still affording the manufacturer and installer efficiencies in the manufacturing, stocking and installation processes.